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Nazareth Then and Now
Ancient Nazareth lacked the critical advantages for its development as a significant settlement: abundant water supply, an elevated site for defensive purposes, and strategic location adjacent to a major highway. The most comprehensive recent study of the archeology of ancient Nazareth and its local region was completed by Ken Dark over several seasons between 2004…
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The oldest hatred
Presentation to a panel discussion sponsored by the Jewish Council of Australia at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane on Monday, 29 September 2025. The topic of the event was: Should anti-Semitism be exceptionalised or should we combat all forms of racism together? Co-hosts for the event included: Doykeit (a local Jewish group in Brisbane), St John’s…
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None so blind …
St Paul’s Anglican Church, Byron Bay St Oswald’s Church, Broken Head FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT 26 March 2017 Introduction Well, that was a long reading: all 41 verses of John chapter 9! It is part of a series of readings from John during these central weeks of Lent. All of them are lengthy readings, and there will…
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A Sermon at the Well
Second Sunday of Lent, Year A (19 March 2017) St Paul’s Anglican Church, Byron Bay It is not often we can identify the actual location of a Gospel episode, but today’s Gospel reading may be one of those rare times. Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman in John 4 takes place at Jacob’s Well, the…
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The ‘First Peoples’ of Palestine
In a recent op ed piece for the Australian Financial Review, Nyunggai Warren Mundine has suggested that the Jewish people are the only surviving descendants of the ‘first peoples’ of Palestine, and as such enjoy an exclusive claim to the land of Palestine. Mundine is an experienced public figure, a former president of the Australian…
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Romulus and Remus coin
A coin which Ibrahim Abu Rakbeh (from St George’s Bazaar across from the College in Nablus Road) recently asked me to read for him has proved to be rather interesting. Here is what the coin looks like: The official description of the coin, which was issued by Constantine I in 330–333 CE to commemorate the founding of his…
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2017 Bible and Archaeology Study Tour
For those interested in a three week study tour with a focus on the Bible and archaeology, here are some details of the 2017 Bible and Archaeology program to be offered at St George’s College, Jerusalem in June/July this year. Dates: 18 June – July 7, 2017 Study Tour Leader: Dr Greg Jenks Costs: The…
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A sermon for St Andrew’s Day
Andrew of Bethsaida, the ‘first-called’ A sermon preached at St Andrew’s Theological Seminary, Manila on St Andrew’s Day, 2016. Introduction It is an immense honor for me to stand here among you on this feast day of St Andrew, and it is with a deep sense of privilege that I bring you greetings from the…
